The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-12
IRISH QUESTIONS.
MIR. Gladstone Delivers Address in De-
fense of the Parneliites.

MR. Gladstone Delivers Address in De-
Tense of the Parnellites.
LoNDoN, May 1I.-Mr. Gladstone was present
at luncheon given to-day to forty non conform
ist ministers. at the residence of DIR. Parker, of
the City Temple. He made address of an
hours length, the subject of his whole discourse
being Ireland. Mr.. Gladstone said Parliament
had been silenced in order that repressive bills
might be passed. The session mad been retro
spective instead of progressive. True, he said
in 1881, that the footsteps of the League were
dogged by crime, and that the Irish
party were proceeding Lhrougut
rapid 6smemberment of the Empire
Those were grave words, which might or might
not have been justified, but he had spoken them
in the light Of the then circumstances and with
sincerity. He was not prepared to say they were
without force or truth. He saw now that
some of the measures they proposed then,
especially suspension of the habeas corpus. was
unhappy and mischievous. Six years ago. while
Prime Minister. be denounced the Parnellites
dangerous. That was totally different from
charging them with crime. The present utter
ances of Major Saunderson. Lord Randolph
Churchill, and even OF the Marquis
of Salisbury, were more dangerous
than any utterances the Parnellites
ever made. Mr.. Gladstone held that the alliance
between the Liberals and Parnellites was per-
fectly open, and one that had been brought
about by community of belief. 1t compared
favorably with alliances between the Conserva-
tives and Irish in 1881 and 1855. The coercion
bill was an insidous attack the press. The
and was a dishonoring. degrading bill Mr.
Gladstone vehemently denounced the govern
ments attitude the Times's charges against
the Irish mem bers. and said the prosecution of
the Times by the crown would be a horrible
farce. Such a proceeding would be persecu-
tion, not prosecution. He earnestly desired to
meet all reasonable objections to his last years
bill, to gain for it all possible support He
warned the government not to miss the golden
opportunity to settle with Ireland on easy terms.
The Preparations at MiiIbauk Prison.
Special to the INDIANAPOLIS Journal
LONDON. May 1.-THE rumor published in
yesterdays Pail Mall Gazette, that the govern
ment contemplated the arrest of the most active
of the Parnellte members of the House of
Commons and their incarceration in Mlibank
prison. has created yeritable sensation and in
some quarters positive alarm. Although the
rumor is derided in Official circles, it is known
that extraordinary preparation has recently
been made in the prison for the accom- odaton
of the grade of prisoners known as ''frst-class
rnisdemeanants," in which category grevous
offenders against the dignity of Parliament
placed, and believes the reftting and
furnishing of sixty contiguous cells to have been
done aimlessly. The theory upon which
many persons seek to account for this sudden
activity on the part of the prison officials is that
the government enraged and humiliated by ths
superior tactics of the Parnelite leaders in the
Dillon Times affair, and goaded to the point of
losing their heads by the masterful fight of the
Irish leaders against the crimes bin, clause by
clause, have reached the determination to evade
further battle with enemy numerically weak
but intellectually strong, by sezing the first
pretext presented to throw their tormentors
int prison. needless Of the exhibition OF weak
and cowardice their act would hold up to
the world.